Rhinoceroses

Barnabas Honeczy/European Pressphoto Agency

News about rhinoceroses, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Dec. 14, 2014

Rangers in South Africa kill three poachers in Kruger National Park, where two-thirds of nation's poaching deaths of rhinos occurred in 2014; demand for rhino horn is surging in parts of Asia where it is seen as status symbol and cure for illness. MORE

Jul. 22, 2014

Kruger National Park in South Africa is weighing plan to move some rhinos out, aiming to protect them from poachers by spreading risk to other game reserves; South Africa has 70 percent of world's rhinos. MORE

Jul. 12, 2014

Kenya Wildlife Service says two armed gangs killed four rhinoceroses for their horns in rural Kenya, in possibly the worst rhino poaching incident in the country in more than 25 years. MORE

Jun. 21, 2014

Albany lawmakers vote to outlaw sale of virtually all items containing more than small amounts of elephant ivory, mammoth ivory or rhinoceros horn; legislation essentially eliminates New York's central role in well-established, nationwide trade with estimated annual value of $500 million; antiques dealers protest vote. MORE

Jan. 28, 2014

Letter from Wayne Pacelle, president, The Humane Society of the United States, responds to Jan 21 Richard Conniff Op-Ed article defending sale of permit to hunt black rhino in Namibia. MORE

Jan. 21, 2014

Op-Ed article by author Richard Conniff tempers backlash against $350,000 sale of right to hunt an endangered black rhino in Namibia; says country's conservation policy is working and that auction is a perfectly sound way to raise funds for protecting the animal. MORE

Jan. 18, 2014

South African government reports that poachers killed 1,004 rhinos in 2013, up from 668 in 2012, as they continue to hunt the animals for their valuable horns. MORE

Jan. 11, 2014

Michael Wilson Crime Scene column presents competing images of Michael Slattery Jr, Irish man on trial in Brooklyn for his role in trafficking horns of endangered rhinos; defense describes illiterate innocent who did not understand enormity of crime, while prosecution holds that Slattery is vital link in international crime organization. MORE

Nov. 23, 2013

Conservationists warn that poaching could soon lead to decline in rhinoceros population as number of deaths surpasses number of births; economics is driving the destruction of the animals in Africa and Asia, where the horns are seen as luxury items. MORE

Nov. 9, 2013

Michael Wilson Crime Scene column observes that skyrocketing value of black rhino horns has led to increase in illegal trafficking in United States; recounts experience of Irish trader Michael Slattery, caught by federal agents after purchasing rhino head from taxidermist in Texas and selling horns to Chinese traders in Queens; Slattery has been charged with wildlife trafficking despite fact he bought head from taxidermist. MORE

Jan. 1, 2013

Global trade in rhinoceros horns from South Africa has exploded into a worldwide criminal enterprise that wildlife conservationists worry could drive rhinos into extinction; criminal syndicates that normally traffic drugs and guns are embracing the trade, which is seen as low risk and high profit; ground rhino horn brings in nearly $30,000 a pound, and being caught with a kilo may only bring a fine (Series: The Price of Ivory). MORE

Jul. 24, 2012

World Wildlife Fund releases report showing that poor wildlife-protection efforts by Asian and African countries in response to illegal poaching is putting the survival of rhinoceroses, tigers and elephants at risk; names Vietnam, Laos and Mozambique as the countries that have done the least to combat trafficking of the endangered animals. MORE